Inside Out Blog

On the thirtieth anniversary of her death, A Dark Place of Dreams revisits the monochromatic assemblages of Louise Nevelson, one of the pioneering American sculptors of the twentieth century, alongside three contemporary artists: Chakaia Booker, Lauren Fensterstock, and Kate Gilmore. See this powerful display for yourself on Saturday, December 29th.

Born in Kiev, Russia (present-day Ukraine) of Jewish descent, Nevelson and her family immigrated to the United States to escape religious persecution. In the 1930s, she broke into the male-dominated New York art scene, and with extraordinary talent and sheer determination, emerged as a force in American sculpture.

In her most iconic works, Nevelson utilized wooden objects gathered from urban debris piles to create monumental installations. This exhibition celebrates Nevelson’s lasting impact on contemporary sculptors who expand the tradition of assemblage in innovative and provocative ways. In the works of Booker, Fensterstock, and Gilmore, varied and dissimilar objects—from rubber tires to shells to paint in motion—register as somber black volumes dissolving into complex surfaces, echoing the mystery and scale of Nevelson’s pieces.

A Dark Place of Dreams is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural institute of the University of North Florida. Additional support provided by Marlene Addlestone, Susan Bass and Tom Bradford, Caroline Finnerty, Barbara and Richard Hagerty, InterTech Group.

Don’t miss this exhibit before it closes to the public on January 6th! Admission to the Gibbes Museum of Art is 15 dollars for adults. Special pricing is offered to seniors, students, and military personnel.

Parks at Nexton Apartments, an extraordinary blend of comfortable and convenient apartments in Summerville, South Carolina, would like to remind our friends and neighbors of this event!